University of Sunderland now offers degree in esports managament

15 February 2023

The Amazon University Esports competition is one of the most popular events when it comes to esports in the UK, with hundreds of teams and thousands of students competing every in eery Split since 2020. Esports are alive amongst university students in the United Kingdom and Ireland, that much is clear, so it makes sense that more and more universities create programs and degrees dedicated to esports. Back in November of last year, for example, we wrote an article about the introduction of an official Foundation Degree in Esports at Belfast Metropolitan College and this time we’d like to move the spotlight to Sunderland. Besides making a substantial investment dedicated to its esports infrastructure, the University of Sunderland has just launched its Esports Event Management Bsc (Hons) degree.

Full-time 3-year programme

The introduction of a full-time degree in esports event management feels like a natural fit for the institution, as it has built an excellent reputation in the fields of events management and computer-based degrees over the years. The launch of the Esports Event Management programme is a logical next step, considering the potential of the market for esports in the UK. The University has created a three-year programme, and is aimed at both British students and applicants from the rest of the world.

“There is certainly a significant growth for the skills involved in running esports events, which has become one of the fastest growing industries in the world”, says Dr. James Scott, Head of School (Law and Tourism) at the University of Sunderland, “Esports events are packing out thousand-seater stadiums regularly, which requires a huge amount of event planning. This is where our new degree course comes in. Students will explore the world of competitive gaming and learn what makes a successful esports event. They’ll delve into the production and management of esports events and develop an understanding of the technologies associated with organising these events”.

Major investments in Sunderland

The new esports degree is not all though, because the University of Sunderland also recently announced an investment of up to £ 1 million to make its current campus more suitable for the development of talent for the esports industry overall. This includes special areas dedicated to both the degree and the social aspect of gaming, such as state-of-the-art games labs and a cinema where esports events can be streamed. These investments form part of the University’s much larger 10-year plan to transform and update its overall facilities at its Sunderland and London campuses worth with an investment of about £ 250 million.

Besides the University of Sunderland’s considerable ambitions, the British Esports Federation also identified the city as a potential hub for esports in the UK. In 2022, the organisation announced that it was going to make a multi-million pound commitment with regard to the creation of an esports performance and education campus at city centre regeneration project Riverside Sunderland. The National Esports Performance Campus (NEPC) will focus on nurturing and supporting the next generation of esports talent in the UK.